Overload protection valve

ABSTRACT

Aspects of the disclosure relate to an overload protection valve for automatic release of a load. The valve may include an outer housing having an end wall, a cam, and inner slide, and an overload spring. The inner slide may include a side wall, a shelf area, an internal barrier, an inlet and an outlet. Each of the inlet and outlet may include an opening through the side wall, and the inlet and the outlet may be separated by the internal barrier. The overload spring may be arranged between the end wall and the shelf area, and may define a load on the valve which will cause the valve to open. The cam may be configured such that when the valve is closed, the defined load will cause the cam to rotate thereby allowing the openings of the inlet and outlet to be in fluid communication and open the valve.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/910,198, filed Mar. 2, 2018, the entire disclosure of whichis incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

Various systems, such as cranes, towing machines, and other devices,employ grabbing mechanisms to grab, hold, lift, and move objects. Thesemechanisms may include hooks, pneumatically operated claws or grabbers,etc. In some instances, the load of an object that these being moved maybe greater than what the system is able to effectively or safely move.As such, the system may fail which can potentially cause damage orinjury to the system, the object, other nearby objects, as well as anyhuman operators.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Aspects of the present disclosure provide a system including an overloadprotection valve. The valve includes an outer housing having an endwall; a cam arranged at least partially within the outer housing; aninner slide including a side wall, a shelf area, an internal barrier, aninlet and an outlet, each of the inlet and outlet including an openingthrough the side wall, the inlet and the outlet being separated by theinternal barrier; and an overload spring arranged between the end walland the shelf area configured to define a load on the valve which willcause the valve to open. In addition, the cam is configured such thatwhen the valve is closed, the defined load on the valve will cause thecam to rotate in order to allow the openings of the inlet and outlet tobe in fluid communication with one another and open the valve.

In one example, the system also includes a cam pin extending from aninterior surface of the cam. In this example, the cam pin extends into aslot of the inner slide. In addition, the slot includes first and secondslot portions arranged at an angle of 90 degrees or less from oneanother. In addition or alternatively, the cam pin is configured to movewithin the slot of the inner slide when the defined load is attached tothe overload protection valve. In another example, the system alsoincludes an inner slide pin extending from an exterior surface of theinner slide. In this example, the inner slide pin extends into a slot ofthe cam. In addition or alternatively, the inner slide pin is configuredto move within the slot of the inner slide when the defined load isattached to the overload protection valve and causes the cam to rotate.In another example, the cam includes at least three grooves on aninterior surface of the cam. In this example, each of the groovesincludes a sealing O-ring. In addition, each sealing O-ring is arrangedaround the inner slide. In addition, a first pair of the sealing O-ringsform a first compartment between the inner slide and the cam, and asecond pair of the sealing O-rings forms a second compartment betweenthe inner slide and the cam. In addition, the valve is closed theopening of the inlet is in fluid communication with the firstcompartment. In addition, the valve is closed the opening of the outletis in fluid communication with the second compartment. In addition, whenthe valve is open, the openings of the inlet and the outlet are in fluidcommunication with the second compartment. In another example, thesystem also includes a cam actuation spring arranged around the innerslide and configured to provide a pushing force on the cam. In anotherexample, the system also includes a pressurized fluid source configuredto provide fluid to the overload protection valve. In this example, thesystem also includes a grabbing mechanism, and when the overloadprotection valve is open, the fluid is able to pass to the grabbingmechanism. In addition, the grabbing mechanism is configured toautomatically release the defined load when the fluid passes to thegrabbing mechanism. In addition, the system also includes the definedload.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a functional diagram of a system in accordance with aspects ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an overload protection valve inaccordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an inner slide in accordance withaspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is partial a cross-sectional view of an overload protection valvein accordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of a cam in accordance with aspects of thedisclosure.

FIG. 5B is a perspective view of a cam in accordance with aspects of thedisclosure.

FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view of a cam in accordance with aspects ofthe disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a ring in accordance with aspects of thedisclosure.

FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view of an overload protection valve inaccordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 8A is a partial perspective view of an overload protection valve inaccordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 8B is a partial perspective view of an overload protection valve inaccordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view of an overload protection valve inaccordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 10 is partial a cross-sectional view of an overload protectionvalve in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 11 is partial a cross-sectional view of an overload protectionvalve and fluid path in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The technology relates to mechanisms to allow a system to automaticallyrelease a load in order to prevent reduce a likelihood of damage to thesystem, and in some cases, catastrophic damage in an unforeseen loadingscenario. For instance, where a crane is used to lift an object, and thecrane would be unable to support the weight of the object, a valve maybe used to automatically release the object while the object is beinginitially lifted by the crane. In some cases, the crane may be able tosupport the weight of an object, but if there is a sudden wind event orother unpredicted high load scenario, rather than pulling down theentire crane, the valve may fire at a predetermined load andautomatically release the object, thereby preventing catastrophicfailure. Similar situations may occur in systems that are used to pull,as opposed to push, objects, such as towing mechanisms. In suchsituations, the valve may again fire if the load is too great, releasingthe object and avoiding damage to the features of the system.

An example system may include a moving mechanism, connected to agrabbing mechanism which together can be used to lift, pull, orotherwise move a load or object. An overload protection valve may bearranged between the moving mechanism and the grabbing mechanism toprevent the moving mechanism from lifting or pulling an object greaterthan a predetermined weight and avoid damage to the object, grabbingmechanism and even the lifting mechanism.

The moving mechanism may include a device that can be used to move andrelease objects. The moving mechanism may be attached to or include apressurized fluid source or other device which can provide pressurizedfluid to the valve. The grabbing mechanism may include any type ofgrabbing mechanism capable of automatically releasing the objectpneumatically or hydraulically.

The valve may include an outer housing, a cam, a cam actuation spring,an overload spring, and an inner slide. The inner slide may include anoutlet end including an outlet and an inlet end including an inlet. Theinlet end may be attached to the moving mechanism and in fluidcommunication with the air source, and the outlet end may be in fluidcommunication with the grabbing mechanism. The inlet and outlet may beseparated by an internal wall prevents fluid from passing directlybetween the inlet the outlet. In addition each of the inlet and theoutlet include respective openings that extend completely through anouter wall of the inner slide.

The inner slide may also include a shelf area arranged between the camactuation spring and the overload spring. The overload spring may besized according to the predetermined load selected for automaticallyopening the valve. The cam actuation spring may be arranged between theshelf area and the cam. As such, the cam actuating spring may be sizedin order to provide a sufficient pushing force on the cam to move thecam in order to unlock or open the valve.

The outer housing may include an end wall. Together the shelf area andthe end wall may define a space for the overload spring. As such, duringloading, both the end wall and the shelf area may provide a compressionforce on the overload spring as the shelf area is pulled towards the endwall.

The cam may include a plurality of grooves on an interior surface of thecam. Each groove may include a respective seal sized to provide an airand fluid tight barrier between the cam and the inner slide duringtypical or expected operating temperature configurations for the valve.Together, the seals and grooves together may form first and secondcompartments between the cam and the inner slide.

When the valve is in the closed or locked configuration, the firstcompartment may be in fluid communication with the first opening in theinlet and the second compartment may be in fluid communication with thesecond opening in the outlet. When the valve is in the unlocked or openconfiguration, the second compartment may be in fluid communication withboth the first opening and the second opening.

Each of the cam and the inner slide may include a respective pin and arespective slot. The cam pin may extend into the slot of the innerslide, and an inner slide pin may extend into the slot of the cam. Theshape of each slot defines the path of the corresponding pin in thatslot.

During loading, when the grabbing mechanism is attached to a load orobject and the moving mechanism begins attempt to move the object, theobject will provide a pulling/resistance force at the outlet end of theinner slide. As the inner slide is pulled towards the object, the innerslide pin may move within and follow the shape of the first slot portionof the slot of the cam. The overload spring may slow or limit thismovement of the inner slide pin within the slot of the cam.

The movement of the inner slide pin within and along the first slotportion of the slot of the cam may cause the cam to rotate. Thisrotation of the cam may cause the cam pin to slide within the first slotportion of the slot of the inner slide. Eventually, the cam pin andinner slide pin may align with the second slot portions of the slots ofthe inner slide and cam, respectively. At this point, thepulling/resistance of the object will pull the inner slide pin along thesecond slot portion of the slot of the cam. At the same time, the camactuation spring will expand and push the cam away from the shelf areacausing the cam pin to move along the second slot portion 756 of theslot of the inner slide.

Movement of the cam away from the object will reposition the seals andrelative to the inner slide such that the first and second openings willeach be within the second compartment thereby unlocking the valve andallowing fluid to pass from the inlet to the outlet. In thisconfiguration, fluid from the fluid source may then pass to the grabbingmechanism causing the grabbing mechanism to automatically release theobject, pneumatically or hydraulically.

The features described above provide for predictive failure of a systemconfigured to lift, pull, or otherwise move a load. In other words, thesystem is able to fail in a controlled, safe way, rather than in adangerous way. In addition, the size and configuration of the overloadspring may define exactly how much weight will cause the valve to openmaking the valve functional for any number of different situations,systems and objects. In addition, the valve described herein may beemployed in any pneumatic or hydraulic lifting, holding, and/or movingapplication as an overload prevention device. As noted above, the valvemay be configured not only to protect the object, but also to protectthe moving mechanism. When the valve is pulled in tension, at a certainload the valve is opened, providing gas, air, or fluid to the downstreampneumatic or hydraulic line. This opening happens very quickly, as toenable fast release of pressure and thus emergency release of the load.

Aspects, features and advantages of the disclosure will be appreciatedwhen considered with reference to the foregoing description ofembodiments and accompanying figures. The same reference numbers indifferent drawings may identify the same or similar elements.Furthermore, the following description is not limiting; the scope of thepresent technology is defined by the appended claims and equivalents.

FIG. 1 includes an example system 1 including a moving mechanism 10,connected to a grabbing mechanism 30 which together can be used to lift(vertically), pull (horizontally), or otherwise move a load or object40. An overload protection valve 100 may be arranged between the movingmechanism 10 and the grabbing mechanism 30 to prevent the movingmechanism from lifting or pulling an object greater than a predeterminedload (weight or resistance force) and avoid damage to the object 40,grabbing mechanism, the lifting mechanism, and even any objects or humanoperators proximate to the system 1. The arrows 50, 52, 54 eachrepresent mechanical connections between the moving mechanism 10 and thevalve 100, between the valve and the grabbing mechanism 30, and betweenthe grabbing mechanism 30 and the object 30, respectively, as discussedin further detail below. This example should not be considered aslimiting the scope of the disclosure or usefulness of the featuresdescribed herein.

The moving mechanism 10 may include a tool (such as a handheld or largerdevice), a machine for towing (such as a car, truck, or train), or otherdevice that can be used to move and release objects such as roboticarms, assembly machine parts, construction equipment, sorting machines,pick and place robots, various types of cranes, including gantry cranesand jib cranes, etc. The moving mechanism 10 may be attached to orinclude a pressurized fluid source 20 such as an air source, compressor,or other device which can provide pressurized fluid (air or gas) to thevalve.

The grabbing mechanism 30 may include any type of grabbing mechanismcapable of automatically releasing the object pneumatically orhydraulically. For instance, the grabbing mechanism may include a hook,claw, grabbers, tow or other hitch, etc. that can grab the object andwhen supplied with pressurized fluid (such as air or gas) willautomatically release the object.

As shown in the cross-sectional perspective view of FIG. 2, the valve100 may include an outer housing 110, a cam 120, a cam actuation spring130, an overload spring 140, and an inner slide 150. FIG. 3 is aperspective view of the inner slide 150, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectionalpartial perspective view of the valve 100 with the outer housing 110being depicted as transparent (dashed line) for ease of viewing andunderstanding.

The inner slide 150 includes an outlet end including an outlet 152 andan inlet end including an inlet 154. The inlet end may be attached tothe moving mechanism and in fluid communication with the pressurizedfluid source 20, and the outlet end may be in fluid communication withthe grabbing mechanism. These connections may include, for instance,bolts and/or other mechanical connections such as pins, threading, etc.The inlet 154 and the outlet 152 are separated by an internal barrier orwall 156 which prevents fluid from passing directly between the inletand the outlet. In addition each of the inlet 154 and the outlet 152include respective openings, corresponding to first and second openings352, 354 that extend completely through an outer wall 356 of the innerslide.

The inner slide 150 also includes a shelf area 158 arranged between thecam actuation spring 130 and the overload spring 140. The overloadspring 140 may be arranged around the inner slide 150 and may be sizedaccording to the predetermined load selected for automatically openingthe valve 100 as discussed further below. The shelf area 158 may alsoprovide support for the cam actuation spring 130. The cam actuationspring 130 is arranged between the shelf area 158 and the cam 120 andaround the inner slide 150. As such, the cam actuating spring 130 may besized in order to provide a sufficient pushing force on the cam 120 tomove the cam in order to open or unlock the valve 100.

The outer housing 110 may include an end wall 112. Together the shelfarea 158 and the end wall 112 define a space for the overload spring140. As such, during loading, both the end wall 112 and the shelf area158 may provide a compression force on the overload spring 140 as theshelf area 158 is pulled towards the end wall 112.

FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C are perspective, side, and cross-sectional views ofthe cam 120. The cam includes a side wall 520 including an inward facinginterior surface 522 and an outward facing exterior surface 524. The cam120 may include a plurality of grooves 122, 124, 126 on the interiorsurface 522. As the cam 120 has a cylindrical shape, each of the groovesmay be annular grooves that extend 360 degrees around the interiorsurface 522.

In addition, each groove 122, 124, 126 may include a respective seal.FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an example seal 600. Seal 600 may be asealing O-ring made of rubber, plastics, silicone, etc. and sized toprovide an air and fluid tight barrier between the cam and the innerslide during typical or expected operating temperature configurationsfor the valve.

When configured as valve 100, the cam 120 is concentric about the innerslide 150. Returning to FIG. 2, when seals, such as seal 600 (not shownfor ease of viewing and understanding), are arranged within each of thethree grooves 122, 124, 126 and around the inner slide 150, the sealsand grooves together may form first and second compartments 160, 162between the cam 120 and the inner slide 150. For instance, a first seal600 in groove 122 and a second seal in groove 124 may form compartment160 between the cam 120 and the inner slide 150. The second seal 600 ingroove 124 and a third seal 600 in groove 126 may for the compartment162 between the cam 120 and the inner slide 150. Accordingly, when inthe closed or locked configuration, the second seal within groove 154prevents fluid from passing between the inlet 154 and the outlet 152 viathe openings

When the valve 100 is in the closed or locked configuration, the firstcompartment 160 may be in fluid communication with the first opening 352in the inlet 154 and the second compartment 162 may be in fluidcommunication with the second opening 354 in the outlet 152. In thisconfiguration, the seal within groove 124 may prevent fluid from passingbetween the first and second compartments. When the valve 100 is in theunlocked or open configuration, the second compartment 162 may be influid communication with both the first opening 352 and the secondopening 354. In this configuration, fluid is able to pass from the inlet154 to the outlet 152 by way of the second compartment 162.

FIG. 7 depicts the cam 120 and inner slide 150 when the valve is in theclosed or locked configuration. As shown, each of the cam 120 and theinner slide 150 may include a respective pin 720, 750 and a respectiveslot 722, 752. For ease of viewing and understanding, the cam 120, campin 720, and slot 722 are shown as transparent (dashed line) and theseals 600 are not shown in FIG. 7. The slot 722 in the cam 120 mayextend partially into (i.e. as a groove) or completely through (i.e. asa hole) the side wall 520 of the cam 120.

The cam pin 720 extends into the slot 752 of the inner slide, and theinner slide pin 750 extends into the slot 722 of the cam 120. Each ofthe pins may be sized (length and width) to be able to slide within thecorresponding slots. For instance, cam pin 720 may be sized to slidewithin slot 752 of the inner slide 150, and inner slide pin 750 may besized to slide within the slot 722 of the cam 120. In this regard, theshape of each slot defines the path of the corresponding pin in thatslot. Each slot has a respective first slot portion 724, 754 and arespective second slot portion 726, 756. The first and second slotportions of each of the slots may be arranged at an angle θ₁ (FIG. 5),02 (FIG. 7) relative to one another in a “check” (less than a 90 degreeangle) or “L” (at or approximately a 90 degree angle) shapecorresponding to a “check mark” or “L” shaped path for the correspondingpin in that slot.

During loading, when the grabbing mechanism 30 is attached to a load,such as object 40, and the moving mechanism 10 begins to attempt to movethe object, the object will provide a pulling/resistance force at theoutlet end of the inner slide 150. At the same time, moving mechanism 30will provide a pulling force at the inlet end of the inner slide 150.This will cause the inner slide 150, including the shelf area 158, tomove towards the object 40. As the inner slide 150 is pulled towards theobject 40, the inner slide pin 750 may move within and follow the shapeof the first slot portion 724 of the slot 722 of the cam 120.

The overload spring 140 may slow or limit this movement of the cam pin720 within the slot 752 of the inner slide 150 depending upon thepulling/resistance force provided by the object 40. How much theoverload spring 140 is able to limit this movement may be a directresult of the sizing or spring force constant of the overload spring. Inother words, the sizing of the overload spring may define a load on thevalve 100 which will cause the valve to open. For instance, if thepulling/resistance force provided by the object 40 is very smallrelative to the sizing of the overload spring 140, the overload spring140 may completely prevent the inner slide pin 750 from moving withinthe first slot portion 724 of the slot 722 of the cam 120. As thepulling/resistance is increased relative to the sizing of the overloadspring 140, the amount of movement of the inner slide pin 750 within andalong the first slot portion 724 of the slot 722 of the cam 120 willincrease.

Movement of the inner slide pin 750 within and along the first slotportion 724 of the slot 722 in combination with the shape of the firstslot portion 724 of the slot 722 of the cam, may cause the cam 120 torotate. Arrow 800 of FIG. 8A indicates the direction of the rotation ofthe cam 120. Again, for ease of viewing and understanding, the cam 120,cam pin 720, and slot 722 are shown as transparent (dashed line) and theseals 600 are not shown in FIG. 8A. This rotation of the cam 120 maycause the cam pin 720 to slide within first slot portion 754 of the slot752 of the inner slide 150.

Eventually, the cam pin 720 and inner slide pin 750 will align with thesecond slot portions 756, 726 of the slots 752, 722 of the inner slide150 and cam 120, respectively, as shown in the example of FIG. 8B.Again, for ease of viewing and understanding, the cam 120, cam pin 720,and slot 722 are shown as transparent (dashed line) and the seals 600are not shown in FIG. 8B.

At this point, the pulling/resistance of the object 40 will pull theinner slide pin 750 along the second slot portion 726 of the slot 722 ofthe cam 120 as shown in FIG. 9. Again, for ease of viewing andunderstanding, the cam 120, cam pin 720, and slot 722 are shown astransparent (dashed line) and the seals 600 are not shown in FIG. 9. Atthe same time, the cam actuation spring 130 will expand and push the cam120 away from the shelf area 158 causing the cam pin 720 to move alongthe second slot portion 756 of the slot 752 of the inner slide 150.

As can be seen from FIGS. 9 and 10, the movement of the cam away fromthe object will reposition the seals 600 and relative to the inner slidesuch that the first and second openings will each be within the secondcompartment thereby unlocking the valve and allowing fluid to pass fromthe inlet to the outlet. In this regard, FIG. 10 is a cross sectionalview of the valve 100, again without the seals 600 for ease of viewingand understanding, with the valve in the open or unlocked configuration.

In this configuration, fluid from the fluid source may then pass to thegrabbing mechanism causing the grabbing mechanism to automaticallyrelease the object, pneumatically or hydraulically. FIG. 11 correspondsto the view of FIG. 10 highlighting an example path 1100 (including pathportions 1110-1160) of fluid as it moves from the inlet end to theoutlet end of the valve 100 when the valve is in the open or unlockedconfiguration. For instance, fluid from the pressurized fluid source 20enters the inlet along path portion 1110, passes from the inlet into theinlet opening along path portion 1120, passes from the inlet openinginto the second compartment along path portion 1130, passes from thesecond compartment into the outlet opening along path portion 1140,passes from the outlet opening into the outlet along path portion 1150,and passes to the grabbing mechanism 30 from the outlet along pathportion 1160. Once the fluid reaches the grabbing mechanism 30, thefluid may cause the grabbing mechanism to automatically release theobject 40, thereby allowing a fast release of the object, preventing anoverload of system 1, and preventing damage to the system as well as anynearby objects or human operators.

Most of the foregoing alternative examples are not mutually exclusive,but may be implemented in various combinations to achieve uniqueadvantages. As these and other variations and combinations of thefeatures discussed above can be utilized without departing from thesubject matter defined by the claims, the foregoing description of theembodiments should be taken by way of illustration rather than by way oflimitation of the subject matter defined by the claims. In addition, theprovision of the examples described herein, as well as clauses phrasedas “such as,” “including” and the like, should not be interpreted aslimiting the subject matter of the claims to the specific examples;rather, the examples are intended to illustrate only one of manypossible embodiments. Further, the same reference numbers in differentdrawings can identify the same or similar elements.

1. An overload protection valve, comprising: an outer housing; a cam arranged at least partially within the outer housing, the cam including an inward facing interior surface; an inner slide including an inlet end for receiving a pressurized fluid from a pressurized fluid source, an outlet end for expelling the fluid, and an internal barrier or wall that separates the inlet end and the outlet end to prevent the fluid from passing directly between the inlet end and the outlet end; and a plurality of compartments formed between the cam and the inner slide.
 2. The overload protection valve of claim 1, further comprising: a cam actuation spring; and an overload spring arranged around the inner slide, wherein the inner slide includes a shelf area arranged between the cam actuation spring and the overload spring, the outer housing includes an end wall, and the end wall and the shelf area are configured to provide a compression force on the overload spring as the shelf area is pulled towards the end wall.
 3. The overload protection valve of claim 2, wherein the cam actuation spring is arranged between the shelf area of the inner slide and the cam and around the inner slide.
 4. The overload protection valve of claim 2, wherein the cam actuation spring is sized in order to provide a sufficient pushing force on the cam to move the cam in order to open or unlock the overload protection valve.
 5. The overload protection valve of claim 2, wherein the overload spring is sized according to a predetermined load selected for automatically opening the overload protection valve.
 6. The overload protection valve of claim 1, wherein the inward facing interior surface has a plurality of grooves, each grove including a respective seal.
 7. The overload protection valve of claim 6, wherein the cam has a cylindrical shape.
 8. The overload protection valve of claim 6, wherein each of the grooves is an annular groove that extends 360 degrees around the inward facing interior surface.
 9. The overload protection valve of claim 6, wherein each respective seal is a sealing O-ring that is sized to provide an air and fluid tight barrier between the cam and the inward facing interior surface.
 10. The overload protection valve of claim 6, wherein the plurality of grooves and the respective seals form the plurality of compartments.
 11. The overload protection valve of claim 1, wherein the inner slide further includes a first opening that allows the fluid to flow from the inlet end into a first compartment of the plurality of compartments.
 12. The overload protection valve of claim 11, wherein when the overload protection valve is in a closed or locked configuration, the fluid is prevented from passing from the first compartment to a second compartment of the plurality of compartments.
 13. The overload protection valve of claim 12, wherein when the overload protection valve is in an open or unlocked configuration, the fluid is allowed to pass from the first compartment to the second compartment.
 14. The overload protection valve of claim 13, wherein the inner slide further includes a second opening that allows the fluid to flow from the second compartment to the outlet end.
 15. The overload protection valve of claim 1, wherein the overload protection valve is configured to trigger an emergency release of a load.
 16. A method of using an overload protection valve to control flow of a fluid, the method comprising: receiving, by an inlet end of an inner slide of the overload protection valve, a pressurized fluid from a pressurized fluid source, wherein the overload protection valve includes an outer housing, a cam arranged at least partially within the outer housing, the cam including an inward facing interior surface, and an internal barrier or wall that separates the inlet end and an outlet end of the inner slide to prevent the fluid from passing directly between the inlet end and an outlet end of the inner slide; when the overload protection valve is in a closed or locked configuration, allowing the fluid to flow from the inlet end to a first opening of the inner slide into a first compartment of a plurality of compartments formed between the cam and the inner slide; and when the overload protection valve is in an open or unlocked configuration, allowing the fluid to flow to the outlet end via the first opening, the first compartment, a second compartment of the plurality of compartments and a second opening of the inner slide.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the overload protection valve is configured to trigger an emergency release of a load.
 18. An overload protection valve, comprising: an outer housing; a cam arranged at least partially within the outer housing; an inner slide including an inlet end for receiving a pressurized fluid from a pressurized fluid source; and a plurality of compartments formed between the cam and the inner slide, wherein, when the overload protection valve is in a closed or locked configuration, the fluid is allowed to flow from the inlet end to a first opening of the inner slide into a first compartment of the plurality of compartment, and wherein, when the overload protection valve is in an open or unlocked configuration, the fluid is allowed to flow to an outlet end of the inner slide via the first opening, the first compartment, a second compartment of the plurality of compartments and a second opening of the inner slide.
 19. The overload protection valve of claim 18, wherein the cam includes an inward facing interior surface having a plurality of grooves, each grove including a respective seal.
 20. The overload protection valve of claim 19, wherein the plurality of grooves and the respective seals form the plurality of compartments. 